International schools like WAB are pushing innovation in learning and teaching, setting new standards in education, and making changes to traditional schooling.

But how do schools ensure these new approaches and practices benefit students and communities?

WAB works with several international accreditation and authorization agencies not only to validate the work we are doing as a school, but they also function as partners in driving the school’s innovative direction. Two of the organizations that WAB partners with are the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Ashish Trivedi, the International Baccalaureate's Head of Strategic Initiatives, Innovation & Incubation, and Trillium Hibbeln, Associate Director of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges International joined The WAB Podcast this week to talk about how their organizations support innovation at WAB and in schools around the globe.

In this episode and through the lens of innovation in learning, Ashish and Trillium discuss the latest developments within their organizations, how they collaborate to support schools, and how their work impacts schools and students.

One key change is the development of the Collaborative Learning Protocol, which allows schools to engage in a single, cohesive authorization and accreditation process covering the IB’s Standards & Practices and NEASC’s ACE Learning Principles.

“The process [of gathering evidence and checking boxes for IB and NEASC]  element is important, but I think this Collaborative Learning protocol is going to switch gears for schools a little bit to focus more on student learning,” Ashish said.

“This is a way for schools to focus in on the areas that they want to play with,” Trillium said. “I say ‘play’ because innovation is play in a way. It’s focused; it’s serious. It’s based on data and feedback from stakeholders, but there has to be an element of creativity and trying new things.”

Our guests also discuss the IB’s partnership with the Jacobs Foundation to promote curiosity and creativity, their personal visions for the future of education, as well as their experience visiting and working with the WAB community.

Tune into the full conversation on The WAB Podcast with Host Chris Clark and Co-Host Stephen Taylor, WAB’s Director of Innovation for Learning and Teaching, on any major podcast platform.